A four week feeding trial was conducted using 180 5-week old Arbor acre broiler chickens to determine the effect of feeding various duration of water soaked sweet orange peels on haematology and serum biochemical indices with a view to determining the potential of soaked sweet orange peels as an alternative to maize. Six broiler finisher diets were formulated and fed to the chickens in groups of 30 birds per diet, subdivided into 3 replicates of 10 chickens each in a completely randomized design. Diet 1 (control) was maize-based, diets 2, 3, 4, 5 and 6, sweet orange peels replaced maize at various duration of water soaked 0, 24, 48, 72 and 96 hours respectively, and incorporated at 30% inclusion. White blood cell, red blood cell and mean corpuscular volume was depressed (p<0.05) by various duration of water soaked sweet orange peels, packed cell volume did not indicate anaemic tendency among treatment and white blood cell count did not indicate infection due to treatments. Serum protein was adequate and liver and kidney function were not compromised. Health status and nutrient absorption of birds were not compromised by replacing maize with various duration of water soaked sweet orange peels in broiler chickens.

An experiment was conducted with one hundred and eighty (180) unsexed day old broiler chicks of Arbor acre strain to investigate the effect of feeding diets supplemented with water soaked sweet orange peel meal (SOP) on the performance and carcass characteristics of broiler chicken. The broiler chickens were randomly distributed into six (6) dietary treatments of 30 birds per treatment which were further distributed into three (3) replicates of 10 birds per replicate from day old, in a completely randomized design. Six dietary treatments were formulated such that, T1 which is control was maize based. In diets 2, 3, 4, 5 and 6, sweet orange peels replaced maize at various duration of water soaked, 0, 24, 48, 72 and 96 hours respectively and incorporated at 30% inclusion. Data were collected on feed intake and weekly weight gain. Six (6) birds were randomly selected per treatment starved over night, weighed and sacrificed by cervical dislocation for carcass analysis. Result reveals significant (p<0.05) difference in daily feed intake, there was no significant (p>0.05) difference on final weight and daily weight gain. The result of carcass characteristics showed no significant (p>0.05) difference in carcass cut and internal organs. It can be concluded that supplementing broiler diets with water soaked sweet orange peels had no detrimental effects on the performance and carcass characteristics.